


A Collection of Beauty

by thetransgirlwhoneverwas



Category: Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: M/M, crackshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 10:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19810036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetransgirlwhoneverwas/pseuds/thetransgirlwhoneverwas
Summary: The Braxiatel Collection is a collection of everything. The possibilities are - quite literally - infinite.





	A Collection of Beauty

Braxiatel looked up from his book when he heard an alarm sounding. The Collection had so many alarms for every eventuality he could think of, so any logical sentient being would have long since given up trying to memorise the unique but barely distinguishable tone of every single individual one of the thousands of possible alarms, but Braxiatel being Braxiatel, he knew every single one and could identify them within moments.  
The biodata scan had detected a person of interest entering the Collection; in other words, a person Braxiatel was interested in making sure would be exiting the Collection very swiftly. Looking at a monitor screen slightly to his right that instantly showed the exact position in the Collection he wanted it to show him, he instantly recognised the figure: Mephistopheles Arkadian appeared on the monitor strutting about, apparently under the impression he was undetected. He was, naturally, wrong, observed Braxiatel. From his office inside the pocket dimension hiding inside the deepest wing of the Collection, Braxiatel saw everything. His security system saw everything else, and the mostly-imperfect clone of the alternative future version of the parallel universe Braxiatel saw that the security system was functioning at all times in all spaces in all eight dimensions. The system was flawless. Braxiatel had hired the best mind in the universe to help him construct it. He was rather disappointed that that particular version of Braxiatel was so mercenary to require payment to assist his own alternate self, but that was the nature of the universe.  
Braxiatel set down his pristine copy of Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, pressed a switch on the desk before him and was transported via transmat teleportation approximately ten feet behind Arkadian, who continued skulking around for an amusingly long time while Braxiatel waited for him to notice. After almost a full minute, Braxiatel gave up and announced himself.  
“Looking for something?”  
Arkadian practically jumped out of his very expensive and very stolen suit, though immediately pretended he hadn’t and attempted to act suave and in control. Braxiatel thought it would avail him little in the face of his own impervious assuredness, but Arkadian seemed unwavering in his sudden confidence.  
“Ah, Braxiatel. Exactly the man I was looking for, in fact, it’s been such a long time.”  
“You’ll have to forgive me, Arkadian,” Braxiatel started the most blatantly insincere apology he’d ever made in a very long line of very insincere apologies. “I’ve encountered you a few times and I very rarely meet people in order.”  
“Oh, this is the latest me you’ll have met, my dear Irving,” Braxiatel’s unimpressed glare intensified, but Arkadian stubbornly ignored it and continued to talk. “Much after that whole Dogma Virus business where you lot sold me a lot of very powerful weapons and didn’t deliver.”  
Arkadian winked slyly at Braxiatel, though there was another emotion mixed into the wink. Braxiatel considered it for a minute, but dismissed it. Obviously not. Obviously.  
“You mean when you died in that Battle TARDIS?” Braxiatel asked, already anticipating the response.  
“Oh, you wound me, what kind of master criminal worth his salt doesn’t know how to fake his own death once or twice?”  
“Naturally,” Braxiatel replied, and while he didn’t physically roll his eyes the gesture was most heavily implied.  
“Don’t worry yourself, though, it’s all water under the proverbial bridge, I’m not interested in the weapons,” Arkadian attempted to sound reassuring, something Braxiatel thought was quite impossible from him. “In fact, I’ve spent a very long time looking for this place so that I could find you.”  
Braxiatel’s gaze narrowed even further, prompting Arkadian to scoff.  
“You must loosen up a little, Irving, I’m here on a friendly visit and you look like you’re trying to set me on fire with your mind,” he laughed, before nervously adding “erm, you Time Lords can’t actually do that, can you?”  
“What are you really here for, Arkadian?” Braxiatel refused to engage with his stupidity.  
Arkadian leaned against the wall in a pose that Braxiatel felt was trying to provoke him...somehow. “I’m looking for the most beautiful and precious thing in this wonderful place.”  
Braxiatel laughed. “There are an infinite number of standards by which to measure beauty, Arkadian. Tell me when you find the most precious thing. Good luck.” He turned to leave.  
“Oh, there’s no need: he’s standing right in front of me.”  
Braxiatel turned back around. He did not mishear that, he knew he didn’t.  
“What do you-”  
“Please, indulge me a little, my dear Irving,” Arkadian continued, though his voice wasn’t as smug as it was before. Certainly just as confident, and even somewhat smoother, but much softer than previously. “You can’t have missed just how hard I’ve worked to get closer to you.”  
“To...me?” Braxiatel feigned confusion, having a horrible yet enticing suspicion where the criminal was going.  
“Of course, to you,” Arkadian continued, taking a step forward and looking directly into Braxiatel’s eyes. Braxiatel had never noticed before just how amazing his eyes were. So much deeper and filled with knowledge than he’d ever taken note of before.  
Braxiatel thought back to the wink, and the lean, and suddenly realised what he’d missed before in his assumptions.  
“Why, Arkadian-” he started.  
“Please, Irving, call me Mephis.”  
“Mephis,” he corrected. “Perhaps we had better discuss this matter in my office, away from...prying eyes.”  
“Then by all means, lead the way,” Mephis held out his hand, clearly hoping Braxiatel would take it and not let go.  
“The only way there is by transmat,” Braxiatel explained, “ and the transmat is only supposed to be accessible to me,” he dropped his voice to a seductive whisper, “so you’ll have to hold onto me very close.”  
Mephis needed no more persuasion, as he embraced Braxiatel tightly. As they prepared for the transmat, Braxiatel stared once again into the eyes he once mistrusted, seeing galaxies worth of wisdom in the bronze windows to his misunderstood soul.  
“I could stare into your eyes for one hundred years and still barely scratch the surface of their beauty, Mephis,” Braxiatel whispered.  
“Don’t worry,” Mephis replied with the warmest smile Braxiatel had seen in many years. “We have eternity to explore each other.”  
As the transmat took them to Braxiatel’s office, the Collection once again fell quiet, a monument to the beauty of the universe, where any and all things were possible - even the impossibility of a connection such as theirs. And in the years to come, they would both agree: that was truly the most precious thing in the vast Collection.


End file.
